Green Bay Packers (8-2) 31, Los Angeles Rams (3-7) 17
Sunday November 19th 1961 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - The Packers' infantry was stalled. So Gen. Bart Starr called for the Air Force. He fired three aerial bombs - two to Max McGee and one to Boyd Dowler - in 7 minutes and 48 seconds of the second quarter to crack a 7-7 deadlock and catapult the Packers into a 35 to 17 victory over the stubborn Rams. This was rough-house all the way as Packers and Rams let tempers and fists throughout but when the fourth straight sellout of 38,669 fans departed the Packers possessed a gaudy 8-2 record. Green Bay thus maintained its game and half lead over the second place Lions who whipped the Vikings in Minneapolis. The victory completed a sweep of the Pack's stadium card. And the stage is set for the colossal Thanksgiving Day struggle between the Packers and Lions in Detroit Thursday. The Packers can take a two and a half game lead with three games to go by whipping the Lions (6-3-1). The Rams took a 7-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game and there were indications that the Packers were in for real trouble - until the Bays exploded for 28 points in the second period. It was 28-10 at the half and each team scored a TD in the final quarter. The Packers looked a little strange without Pvt. Paul Hornung of Fort Riley, Kan., who was missing his first game since late in the '57 season. But Hornung's replacements, who turned out to be three, performed well - judging by the Pack's 35-point total. Tom Moore was Paul's first replacement as a running back but he was injured after three trips for seven yards. Elijah Pitts took over for Moore and buzzed 21 yards in eight trips. Ben Agajanian, the 42-yard old phenom, stepped into Hornung's kicking shoes and hammered home five extra points. The California businessman, wearing red socks, tried a 35-yard field goal but it was blocked. The Pack's infantry, despite all the soldier boys around, was toned down to 76 yards, although the Rams apparently had set their defenses to stop the GB rush, many times putting seven or eight men on the line. But the Rams could be had in the air and that's where quarterback Starr struck for three touchdowns - two to McGee on flips of 20 and 13 yards and one of 17 to Dowler, all in the second quarter uprising. Jim Taylor scored the other two TDs on vicious one-yard chops, the first to start the second period spree and the last to frost the cake in the fourth period. Starr finished with 10 completions in 15 attempts and this was the second game in a row he has thrown three TD passes. He hurled three bombs at the Bears last Sunday. Two long passes set up both of Taylor's TDs. Starr pitched 38 yards to Ron Kramer to stage the first Taylor TD and Starr's 39-yard toss to McGee set up Taylor's second. As weakened as they've been in the platoons (special teams), these shock "troops" helped explode the Packers. Lew Carpenter, with fine blocks by Willie Wood and Pitts, returned a punt 46 yards to the Ram 20 in the second quarter. Starr passed to McGee on the next play for a 14-7 lead. Bill Forester forced Danny Villanueva to punt badly (only three yards) with a strong rush and Starr hurled 13 yards for a TD to McGee on the first play. This was the roughest game, and sometimes just plain dirty, the Packers have been in for many a season. It seemed to be "open season" on quarterbacks and the officials repeatedly warned the big linemen, especially the Rams' Urban Henry and John Lovetere. Starr escaped without losing a yard trying to pass but Ram QBs were tossed back 34 yards trying to throw. Despite all the slugging. elbowing, piling-on and fore-arming, not a player was booted out. Ten penalties were handed out for a total of 122 yards, including six for 89 yards on the Rams. The Packers went through the first half without a penalty but drew four for 33 in the second half. The Rams made off with all statistical honors, but there are no complaints hereabouts - first downs 19 to 17, total yards 345 to 249, yards rushing 110 to 76, and yards passing 235 to 173. McGee was the individual leader with five catches for 90 yards and two TDs. The Packers didn't set the chilled fans (it was 31) afire at the beginning. They didn't chalk up a first down until the final series in the first quarter. And on the first play of the game, Starr's pass to McGee was short and Lindon Crow intercepted and returned 17 yards to the Packer 26. The Rams had a 7-0 lead in three running plays, with Jon Arnett ripping up the middle for 14 yards and a touchdown. Villanueva kicked the first of two extra points for a 7-0 lead with only 1:58 gone. Until the last two minutes of the first period, the two clubs fought fiercely, with Dowler punting twice and the Packers gaining but 17 yards in two series. With Arnett running beautifully (he finished with 64 yards in 16 trips), the Rams got into position for a field goal but Villanueva barely missed from the Packer 48, the ball bouncing off the crossbar and back onto the field. Near the end of the first period, the Bays went on a 63-yard, 11-play touchdown drive. Taylor started with a five-yard loss but on the next play Starr and Kramer worked their 38-yard advance to the Ram 30. After a first down on the 19, with Moore hurting his ribs on a seven-yard run, the Bays pounded it in. Pitts made six, Taylor three and one, Pitts six more to the 4, Pitts three and Taylor one for the TD. Pitts actually should have had a TD but the officials ruled it dead. He broke out of Les Richter's grasp and leaped in but...? This brought forth Agajanian, wearing No. 3, and the 42-year old kicked the first of five extra points to tie the score. With Pvt. Ray Nitschke, who had just gone in for Tom Bettis, Willie Davis and Bill Quinlan making big tackles, the Rams were forced to punt. Carpenter took the ball on the 32, while Wood cleaned out a blocker directly up front, cut sharply to his left and upfield. Pitts mowed down a Ram around the 50 and Carpenter was off to the 20. On the first play, Starr faked a handoff to Moore, rolled to his left and lined a perfect shot to McGee who had stopped dead on the one and then tight-roped into the end zone. The score was 14-7. After a fumble lost 21 yards, with Jess Whittenton nailing Zeke Bratkowski, Villanueva got off a three-yard punt when Forester bore in to put the ball on the Ram 13. Starr, on
the first play, hit McGee on the slant-in pass for the TD. The aroused Rams snapped back and reached the Packer 21 in nine plays but the Packers killed three straight passes and Villanueva kicked a 27-yard field goal for a 21-10 score. With 1:42 left in the half, the Bays scored in six plays, including four straight first down shots. The Rams received three straight penalties, including two for roughing Starr, to the Ram 20. On third down, Dowler reached high to take Starr's pass in the end zone and a 28-7 edge. The Bays took the ball away on downs on the Bay 25 and the Packers drove in for the missed field goal try. The Rams threatened again but this time John Symank recovered Bass' fumble and returned four yards. After a Dowler punt, the two clubs exchanged touchdowns. Los Angeles scored first in the fourth period, moving 68 yards in seven plays. Bass and Arnett grabbed 20 yards in two trips and four plays later Frank Ryan threw a short lob over the line to Ollie Matson and the big slot back rumbled 41 yards for the touchdown and a 28-17 score. The Packers then displayed their ability to snap back, going 67 yards in six plays. Taylor cracked the middle twice for 14 yards as the desperate Rams piled all over the big fullback. Starr passed to McGee for eight and then Taylor ran another five. Starr faked beautifully, forcing the defense to follow Taylor into the line, and then hit the weaving McGee on the 10. Max just missed a TD when Hall hauled him down a yard short of the goal line. Taylor then went in standing up and the Packers were in 35-17 with 6:58 left. Oh? Bass took Agajanian's kickoff (Hank Gremminger had been kicking off until he was hurt) and returned 64 yards to the Packer 25. A roughing penalty on the Rams, especially on head-hunting Art Hunter, forced the Rams to lose the ball on downs on the Packer 16. A few minutes later, the Rams lost it again on downs when Hank Jordan caught Ryan for a 14-yard loss. On the final play of the game, the Packers lost - as they did on the first. This time Taylor lost nine trying right end. But the Bays didn't lost on the scoreboard.
LOS ANGELES - 7 3 0 7 - 17
GREEN BAY - 0 28 0 7 - 35
LOS ANGELES GREEN BAY
First Downs 19 17
Rushing-Yards-TD 33-111-1 31-76-2
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 29-19-235-1-0 15-10-173-3-1
Sack Yards Lost 4-34 0-0
Total Yards 312 249
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0
Turnovers 1 1
Yards penalized 6-89 4-33
SCORING
1st - LA - Jon Arnett, 14-yard run (Danny Villanueva kick) LOS ANGELES 7-0
2nd - GB - Jim Taylor, 1-yard run (Ben Agajanian kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Max McGee, 20-yard pass from Bart Starr (Agajanian kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
2nd - GB - McGee, 13-yard pass from Starr (Agajanian kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
2nd - LA - Villanueva, 17-yard field goal GREEN BAY 21-10
2nd - GB - Boyd Dowler, 17-yard pass from Starr (Agajanian kick) GREEN BAY 28-10
4th - LA - Ollie Matson, 17-yard pass from Frank Ryan (Villaneuva kick) GREEN BAY 28-17
4th - GB - Taylor, 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) GREEN BAY 35-17
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 19-47 2 TD, Elijah Pitts 8-21, Tom Moore 3-7, Bart Starr 1-1
LOS ANGELES - Jon Arnett 16-64 1 TD, Dick Bass 13-33, Frank Ryan 3-13, Ollie Matson 1-1
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 15-10-173 3 TD 1 INT
LOS ANGELES - Frank Ryan 16-11-167 1 TD, Zeke Bratkowski 12-8-68, Jon Arnett 1-0-0
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Max McGee 5-90 2 TD, Ron Kramer 3-63, Boyd Dowler 1-12 1 TD, Jim Taylor 1-8
LOS ANGELES - Red Phillips 6-71, Ollie Matson 5-69 1 TD, Dick Bass 5-50, Carroll Dale 3-45
'GUYS WERE WITH ME,' PITTS SAYS
NOV 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "You're sitting there on a bench and all of a sudden it happens. You're kind of shook up." This is how it looked to one Elijah Pitts, a dusky, dedicated speedster from Little Rock, Ark., when opportunity knocked Sunday afternoon hard upon the heels of an injury to Tom Moore on the Packers' first offensive series. "It was okay, though," Elijah reflected with a happy grin, simultaneously admitting, "I was a little nervous but it went away after a few plays." It must be remembers, of course, that Pitts, who won't come of voting age until next Feb. 3, was not merely stepping into Moore' shoes but also into the amble brogans vacated one week earlier by the man many consider the greatest all-around player in the game, Pvt. Paul Hornung, now a jeep pilot at Fort Riley, Kan. Elijah, who quickly became a key figure in the Packers' drive to their first touchdown with 15 yards in three thrusts, paid tribute to his colleagues for easing the way. "The guys were with me," he said with a warm smile overspreading his ebony features. "They were talking to me. And the blocking was tops." The man he replaced was, as might be expected, slightly downcast. Given the starting assignments, Moore had been primed for a "full go" - and it was all over before he'd fairly begun. Somewhat loath to discuss his injury, Tom explained in a low voice, "It's nothing serious. I don't know if I fell on the ball or just fell - I don't know what it was. But I don't think it was anything bad. I'm sure I'll be able to go at Detroit Thursday." Another Tom, Bettis, said there was nothing mysterious about his throwing the Rams' Bratkowski for a vital 7-yard loss in the first quarter that forced a 48-yard field goal fizzle by Danny Villanueva. "We were just playing our defensive the same way we were supposed to," Tom, a standout all afternoon, informed with a satisfied smile. "We had noticed in the films that they were having a lot of success on a reverse with Matson. On that particular play, we guessed it would be a reverse and, with the other two linebackers (Bill Forester and Dan Currie) playing to the outside, I red dogged straight up the middle and dropped Bratkowski before he could get it started." Hank Gremminger, en route to the shower, revealed that kicking off, as might have been expected, was not a new experience for him. "I did a little in college," he confided with a shy smile. It turned out, following a second question, that "a little" had been a lot. "I guess I really did just about all the kickoff work when I was at Baylor," Hank admitted. His final efforts were not accidental, it should be added. "They told me to kick 'em into the ground to keep Arnett from getting 'em," he explained. Some Packer partisans, miffed no little over the Rams' conduct, were labeling the Californians "the dirtiest team to ever play here" but this sentiment was not generally shared by their "victims." "They were hitting late a lot of times," Forrest Gregg admitted, but tacitly declined to apply the "dirty" label. Offensive Capt. Jim Ringo was even more outspoken. "No, they weren't," he said flatly. "It was just a rough football game, that's all." Speaking for the defense, forthright Henry Jordan opined, "They were just fired up and wanted to get rough with us. You take for example that Roy Hord of theirs. He played on my side last year and now he's on the other side. Today, he was always coming after me. That sonofagun hit me so hard one time he broke my helmet strap. He missed Dave (Hanner) so he came over to hit me." "No," he summed up soberly, "they weren't dirty. They just wanted to beat us. Some of our boys were rocking, too, don't forget that." Boyd Dowler, dressing in front of his locker for perhaps the last time in some months, imparted, "I hope to come back whenever I can - but I don't have any idea now whether I will be able to or not." His sentiments about leaving? He shrugged and said, "When you gotta go, you gotta go."
MANPOWER WOES WORRY VINCE; 'TOO MUCH,' BOB
NOV 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "Are you in shape, Coach?" Vince Lombardi smiled wanly at this facetious query from a Los Angeles scribe and replied, "I guess we'll have to be." It was only minutes after the pleasantly methodical Packers had tranquilized a surprisingly surly herd of Rams but the Pack's resident genius was already pondering how injuries to Tom Moore and Hank Gremminger might affect his forces' already sadly depleted manpower supply - and their immediate future in the NFL's Western Division title scramble. Running a hand nervously through his hair, Vince declared, "I'm worried about the number of men - our special teams are going down hill. Thank God we're still in first place. We've got four out now (servicemen Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and the then departing Boyd Dowler and the injured Jerry Kramer) and Moore's a question mark," he pointed out. "Tom has a little cartilage in his ribs - I don't know whether he'll be ready for the Lions Thursday or not. And Gremminger has a sprained knee which we
won't know about until tomorrow. This means the rest of them have got to go all the way - there can be no substitutions whatsoever." Any chance of adding personnel? "None at all," he said. Speaking of Gremminger, how did he evaluate the Packers' latest kickoff "specialist"? "Gremminger did fine for what we used him for," Lombardi responded with an enigmatic smile. At this point, he leaped to his feet and barked, "Boyd! Boyd!" Excusing himself for the moment, Vince strode into the players' quarters for a "good luck" handshake with Dowler, then heading out the door for the airport - and Fort Lewis, Wash. Would Boyd - and Hornung and Nitschke - be available Thanksgiving Day, he was asked upon returning to his desk? "I don't know - I can't count on any one of them," he said. "As far as Hornung is concerned, how could he play anyway? He couldn't very well play because of his timing. He might be able to go in a spot," Vince added, "but that would be about all. He couldn't even kick for us - he hasn't had any practice." This, inevitably, brought up the newly-acquired Ben Agajanian's ill-fated field goal attempt. Any explanation? "It got blocked," Vince rapped. Did he feel Agajanian might be slower than Hornung at getting his kicks off? "No," was the firm reply. How about another pinch hitter, rookie Elijah Pitts? "Pitts did pretty well," Vince conceded. "I said," he added in the interests of accuracy, "pretty well." And, finally, what of the Rams? "They are a lot better football club than they were anytime last year, I'll tell you that," Lombardi proclaimed. "That's a hard-hitting ball club."...A thoughtful Bob Waterfield, who escorted the Rams to the world championship in 1945 as a rookie quarter and now is striving to pry the Angelenos from the NFL dungeon, put his analysis in seven words: "They were just too much for us." This, then, meant he had no quarrel with his athletes' performance? "No, I haven't. They played hard," Waterfield said quietly. What had prompted all that post-whistle contact by the Californians? "Damned if I know," he said "I have no idea." Although pleased with the Rams' will to work, Waterfield admitted, "We fell asleep on defense a couple of times and it killed us." He had reference to matters involving the Pack's Max McGee. "Yeah, McGee's a tough man to cover." The field had appeared slippery, it was suggested. Did he feel this was more of a handicap to his forces than the enemy? "The Packers have a little heavier type backs than we have," he said, "so it may have handicapped us a little more than it did then." Before another question could be asked, Ollie Matson came in and shook hands with Waterfield. "Nice game, Ollie," Bob told him. "Sorry we couldn't get this one for you," Matson replied in a low voice. "But we'll get 'em next Sunday," he added over his shoulder as he left. Had Waterfield been optimistic when the Rams surged into that 7-0 first period lead and appeared headed for another touchdown? "I still thought we had a good chance if we could have stopped them when they got that last touchdown - when McGee got to the one-yard line. The boys played good ball." How did he evaluate the Packers' title chances, with four players in service and two others injured? "The Packers," he said, "are the only team in the league which could lose four players like that and still be a pretty solid ball club."...GRAD'S DAY: Many of the giants of yesteryear, the pioneers and the latter day stars who helped make the Packers six-time world champions, were on hand for the annual homecoming festivities, marked by a dinner party at the Beaumont Hotel Saturday night and introduction of the alumni between halves of Sunday's game. Among those returning for a trek down memory lane were Mike Michalske, now at Texas University; Cub Buck, the Packers' first major college signee who came out to them from the University of Wisconsin and now lives at Rock Island, Ill.,; Dick Wildung, now a resident of Redwood Falls, Minn.; Carlton (Stretch) Elliott, from Charlottesville, Va.,; and Len Szafaryn, from Pittsburgh...VIEWPOINTS: "That wasn't bad defense, that was good running," former Packer coach Curly Lambeau declared seconds after Jon Arnett's snaky first quarter touchdown jaunt. "Arnett is the best runner the Packers have faced all season," Curly said. "He has great deception and great balance. Arnett is a tumbler - when he got hit on that run, he bounced right back on balance."...THE CHAMPS: Regional "Punt, Pass and Kick" contest winners were introduced before the game. They include James Russler, 6, of Two Rivers; John B. Krale, 7, of Hortonville; Brandt Pfeiffer, 8, of Nekoosa; Gregg Schofield, 9, of Antigo; and Jim Olewine, 10, of Port Edwards. Their scores will be compared with those of champions in 13 other regional competitions to determine five national champions - one from each age group 6 through 10...TV 'SPECIAL': Miss Diane Anderson of Eau Claire, 1961's "Miss Wisconsin," was presented with a Packer football, autographed by all of the players and coaches, by Publicity Director Tom Miller in a brief, pregame ceremony beamed over the Packers' regional television network...PERSONAE NON GRATA: The Rams were slightly unpopular with the 38,669 Packer partisans during the second half, particularly at one point in the third quarter, shortly after Ron Kramer had been pummeled. The Rams took over the ball one play later, when Ben Agajanian's field goal attempt had been blocked, and the faithful became so vocal, the Rams couldn't hear quarterback Zeke Bratkowski's signals and called time. When play resumed, the boos persisted but not in sufficient volume to bring another timeout.
RAM OUTPLAY PACK BUT POINTS MEANS WINS
NOV 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - So the Rams ran off 62 plays against the Packers' 46? So what? The Packers got the points 35 to 17 and that's what really count. Coach Vince Lombardi explains it this way: "When you're scoring, the other team usually has the most plays. Every time you score, the other team gets three extra plays." So the the Packers can count a field goal or touchdown! They then kick off to the other team and the Pack's defense and said foe then get at least three plays before punting. There was a sterling example during the Bays' 28-point second quarter Sunday. The Packers used five plays to start the period to tie the score 7-7 on Jim Taylor's one-yard plunge. After that TD, the Packers used only eight plays while the Rams were running off 20. Yet, the half ended with the Packers in front 28-10. And for an oddity, six of the Pack's eight plays were first down maneuvers. Here's what happened: After the Taylor TD, the Rams ran off five plays. Lew Carpenter returned the fifth, a punt, 48 yards to the Ram 20. On Down 1, Bart Starr threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Max McGee. Now it's the Rams' turn. The Pack defense does its job and on the fourth play Dan Villanueva gets off a three-yard punt, on the Rams 13. On Down 1, Starr throws a 13-yard TD pass to McGee (a nice habit). The Rams keep it longer next time - 10 plays and Villanueva kicks a 27-yard field goal. Now it's the Packers turn to receive. The Rams are generous and three straight penalties (including two for roughing Starr) give the Bays three straight first downs. Three plays later Starr throws to Dowler for a touch. With seven seconds left, the Rams don't get their normal three plays. Time runs out after Jon Arnett runs once for three yards. Anyhow, it occurs
to us that the Packers can save wear and tear on their depleted forces by merely scoring a-plenty!...PS: The Packers (1) lost the ball and (2) nine yards on the first and last plays of the game. On the game's opening play, Starr's pass was intercepted by Lindon Crowe. On the game's last play, Taylor lost nine yards on a run that started at left end and ended behind the right side. Against Pittsburgh in '57, the Packers had passes intercepted on the first and last plays of the game. The Bays won that one, too.
PACKER PRIDE, 'CHAMPIONSHIP' AT STAKE AGAINST DETROIT
NOV 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Methinks the Packers have been waiting for this one since last Thanksgiving Day. The Packers ate crow and/or cold turkey on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 24, 1960, after losing an embarrassing 23 to 10 decision to the Lions in Tiger Stadium. And the Packers stumbled again in front of these Lions - in the 1961 league opener in Milwaukee Sept. 17. Score: 17 to 13. There will be a lot of Packer pride at stake when the Packers face the Lions in Detroit this Thanksgiving Day - plus the little matter of "winning" the championship. The Packers can creep within a half-game of the 1961 Western Division title by beating Detroit. The Lions can move within a half-game of the top if they win. Here's how the meat of the standings will be displayed in your Press-Gazette if the Packers win:
W L T .PCT
Green Bay 9 2 0 .818
Detroit 6 4 1 .600
This situation would enable the Packers to clinch their second straight Western title by winning one of their three remaining games - the Giants in Milwaukee Dec. 3, the 49ers in San Francisco Dec. 10 or the Rams in Los Angeles Dec. 17. If the Packers lose to Detroit, we will regret to display the standings as follows:
W L T .PCT
Green Bay 8 3 0 .727
Detroit 7 3 1 .700
This would make it virtually a must for Green Bay to win its remaining three games. And the Lions would have to do likewise. Detroit visits Chicago (Wrigley Field) Dec. 3, hosts Minnesota Dec. 10 and then hosts Philadelphia Dec. 17. This situation also would put the 49ers in the thick of the race since they have 5-4-1 at the moment. If the Packers and Detroit should play a tie, the standings would look like this:
W L T .PCT
Green Bay 8 2 1 .800
Detroit 6 3 2 .667
Neither team would gain in this case since the percentages after last Sunday's games would merely carry over. The winner is the team with the highest percentages and ties don't count. Incidentally, the Packers and Lions have played only one tie in their 56-game series, which started in 1934. The two clubs tied 13-up here in 1958. While all the possibilities are particularly engrossing today, the cold facts of Packer life are just that - cold. Coach Vince Lombardi can count on only 31 able-bodied men out of a possible 36, not counting kicker Ben Agajanian who, by the way, has a bad cold. The three Army men (Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler) can't be figured on since it's never known until the last minute whether they'll be available. The Bays came out of Sunday's win over the Rams with two injured - Tom Moore, ribs, and Hank Gremminger, knee. Lombardi listed Moore as "doubtful" today, and his status probably won't be known until game time. Moore, of course, is the No. 1 replacement for Hornung. Elijah Pitts filled in nobly for Moore Sunday while Tom was hurt early in the game. Vince said that "Gremminger is okay," which means that the Pack's defense is intact, other than Nitschke. However, Tom Bettis has been coming back strong in Nitschke's spot. What's more, this will be a special "mission" for Bettis. The Lion game in Detroit was his last action in '60. While the Packers are dangerously low in manpower, they are exceptionally high in spirit. Lombardi is happy to note that the morale of the team is good - as it has been through the trying experiences of the last few weeks. The Packers plunged into preparations for Detroit bright and early Monday morning and then loosened up lightly in the afternoon. Scout Wally Cruice spoke on the Lions' victory over the Vikings Monday noon, a day earlier than usual. Little time was spent reviewing the Ram game. Today was the Pack's one big day of practice. The team will leave via United Airlines charter from Austin Straubel Field at 1 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
HORNUNG, NITSCHKE, DOWLER JOIN PACKERS FOR 'TITLE' CONTEST
NOV 22 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke will join the Packers for their critical "championship" game against the Lions in Tiger Stadium Thanksgiving Day. All three privates are away from their Army bases on holiday passes. Hornung is flying in tonight from Fort Riley, Kan., in Green Bayite Pat Martin's plane. He must report back to duty early Friday morning. Dowler and Nitschke are flying from Fort Lewis, Wash., along with John Gordy, the Lions' starting offensive guard, who is also getting off for the game. With weather conditions not good, Coach Vince Lombardi is keeping his fingers crossed. The Packers flew out of Green Bay this afternoon. Rain and snow are scheduled for tonight and Thursday. "I don't know how much Hornung will help us on the field. He has been away for nearly two weeks but just having him will give us an added lift." Lombardi said today. Lombardi said that Elijah Pitts, the rookie who did so well against the Rams, will start at the left halfback spot and that Hornung will be used "for only spot duty." The coach said that Hank Gremminger, who was also hurt in the Ram game, is doubtful. Hornung missed last Sunday's game against the Rams in Green Bay, but starred in the exciting victory over the Bears the previous Sunday. The league's highest scorer in history could play a key role as a blocker for Jim Taylor and as a spot runner, receiver and passer. What a player! Paul couldn't have come at a better time because Tom Moore has a rib injury and isn't expected to play at all. Gremminger is dying to play but his knee might slow him down too much. This opens the way for Em Tunnell, who would go to a safety spot while Willie Wood moved over to Gremminger's position. It's possible Herb Adderley will play at Gremminger's cornerback spot. The swift offensive back has been shifted to defense in this emergency. He played considerable defense in school - not to mention the All Star game. Mixed in with the rash of injuries and last-minute military maneuvers is this curious twist: The Packers will wear this green and gold home uniforms and the Lions will wear their traveling white uniforms. There seems to be no good reason except George Wilson, coach of the Lions, is highly superstitious. Wilson said, however: "No, I'm not superstitious. Our blue shirts shrank." Lombardi has consented to let the Detroit wear the conventional whites. "It doesn't make a bit of difference what color uniforms you wear," Vince laughed. Apparently it does to Wilson, who noted that Detroit has a 5-0-1 record on the road, with their white uniforms, and 1-3-0 at home. The Packers are 5-1 in their dark uniforms, losing only to the Lions. Anyhow, the Packers likely will look at white-clad Jim Ninowski as the Lions' starting quarterback, although Wilson isn't saying. Jim has been starting lately but Earl Morrall went in and broke open the Viking game last week. Morrall has been considered a success as a "relief pitcher." Green Bay also will get its first look at Detroit's new four-end offense, in which one back (fullback Nick Pietrosante) stands behind the quarterback and the other backs and ends spread out to the left or right. The Rams tried it for a few plays last Sunday. Pietrosante will be the Pack's big problem in addition to the Lions' fine pass catchers, Gal Cogdill, Jim Gibbons and Terry Barr. The Packer offense's biggest job will be protecting Bart Starr. A year ago here, Bart hardly had a chance to set himself for a pass. The Packers are staying at Sheraton-Cadillac hotel here. They'll leave right after the game on a United Airlines charter and are due to arrive at Austin Straubel Field about 5:05.
HORNUNG FINDS ARMY KEEPS HIM IN SHAPE
NOV 22 (Kansas City) - Paul Hornung, the highest single-season scorer in NFL history, gets another crack with the Green Bay Packers this season, after all. The former Notre Dame All-American, who began a one-year hitch in the Army last week, has been granted a 24-hour pass from Thanksgiving Day. He's flying from Ft. Riley, Kan., to Detroit for the Turkey Day tussle between the Western Division-leading Packers and the runnerup Lions...FLYING TO DETROIT: Hornung will play despite an Army spokesman's comment when he reported that "he won't play any more football this year." "A friend from Green Bay (Pat Martin) will pick me up at Ft. Riley in his private plane and we'll fly directly to Detroit," Hornung said. "I will return to camp after the game, as my pass expires at midnight tomorrow." The curly-haired former Notre Dame All-American anticipates there may be at least one more game under his belt after Thursday's contest. "Ten percent of my outfit was granted three-day leaves, and with a little luck I may get one in a couple of weeks," he said...ARMY TRUCK DRIVER: Hornung, a private, is a truck driver for the 896th Engineer Co., a reserve unit from South Dakota, which was recently recalled to active duty. How did Hornung, a native of Louisville, Ky., who played his college football in Indiana and his professional ball in Wisconsin, wind up in a South Dakota unit? He grinned and replied, "That's just one of those things that happens in the Army." When the husky all-pro back reported to Fort Riley a week ago, he said, "I'm happy to be here." Today he admitted, "It feels pretty good to get away from here - even if for only a little while." He's not worrying about keeping in shape for football. "The Army has a way of keeping you in shape," he said. "Our days last from about 5 o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock at night, and you can't get fat and sloppy with that kind of a schedule."...TALKED TO LOMBARDI: Hornung said he talked to Green Bay Coach Vince Lombardi by telephone Tuesday, notifying him of the 24 hour pass. "He seemed pleased," Hornung said. Lombardi has reason to be pleased, for his 26-year old backfield star scored 130 points in the team's first nine games this season. However, Lombardi moaned that lack of practice probably has thrown Hornung's timing off, and that he hasn't kicked a ball in over a week. Hornung, in addition to being one of the club's leading ground gainers and a good passer, is Green Bay's placekicking specialist. "It will be kind of a a hurried-up affair, but at least I'll get to play and I hope I can help the team some," Hornung said.
AFL DRAFT DISCREDIT TO PRO FOOTBALL: ROZELLE
NOV 22 (New York) - Pete Rozelle, NFL commissioner, Tuesday blasted the American League's sneak draft as a "discredit to pro football" and warned that continuation of
such acts might force the NFL to change its policy in the future. "This act indicated that the AFL's next step may be pulling juniors and sophomores out of school to play professional football. I hope it is possible to continue our present policy, but it may be necessary to make a change. This is the third consecutive year they have drafted during the college season. We always hold our draft at the end of the college season or several weeks later. Apparently, they are so desperate that a 48-hour jump is not enough and they have reneged on their written word and public declaration." Rozelle said the NFL would stand by its announced schedule to draft in Chicago Dec. 4. He said the AFL had notified both the NCAA and the College Coaches Assn. on Aug. 30 and made a public announcement two weeks ago that it would hold its draft Dec. 2. "The AFL admitted last night it made a sneak draft last week," said Rozelle. "I was shocked at the duplicity and audacity of the AFL in this action. We feel this hurts all pro football because it hurts our relationship with the colleges. For many years we have abided by the four-year rule, under which any college player cannot compete in our league until four years after he first enrolls in college." Rozelle said he knew several contracts already were in the hands of players. "One of the top linemen in the country has had AFL representatives with him for two days trying to get him to sign," said Rozelle. "We know we will lose some players. We did last year when the AFL started drafting by telephone about Nov. 19. In five weeks before we drafted they signed eight or 10 very fine players our clubs would like to have had. However, we are not overly concerned because we feel this will follow the same overall trend when 78 percent of the drafted players, able and willing to play pro football, signed with the NFL." Rozelle said he preferred not to disclose the names of players involved "to protect the players." However, he said he had a list of 48 players, drafted in six rounds by the AFL.
PACKERS' STARR TOP NFL PASSER, TOSSES 58 PERCENT COMPLETIONS
NOV 23 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bart Starr is leading National League passers for the second straight week. And it's about time for some cheering. The Packers' smart signalist was Coach Vince Lombardi's automatic selection as the No. 1 quarterback when Lamar McHan was traded to the Colts last winter. That the naming of Starr as "our man at quarterback" was a wise and wonderful move shows up all over the league today. The biggest convincer is merely that the Packers are leading the Western Division (8-2). In addition, the Packers have scored more points than any other team, 304 - an average of 30 per start. Starr brought the Packers into the championship last season by winning the last three games, thus finishing with 8-4. Not counting today's game in Tiger Stadium, Starr has already matched that eight-win total at the
Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr huddles with coach Vince Lombardi during the Packers’ 35-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams (Credit: Green Bay Press-Gazette Media Archives)
10-game mark. The Bays' QB, in the words of NFL publicist Jim Kensil, has "overall ability and balance because he leads in none of the six categories on which the league's passers are rated." Starr is second in completion percentage and percent of interceptions, third in total yards and average gain, fourth in TD passes, and fifth in total completions. You get a good slant on how Starr has improved over a year ago by comparing the current figures with his record at the 10-game mark a year ago. Starr, in '60, ranked in sixth place behind (in order) Milt Plum, John Unitas, Norm Van Brocklin, Bobby Layne and Ralph Guglielmi. Plum presently ranks third and Unitas seventh. Van Brocklin is not playing and Layne, who has been hurt, and Guglielmi are unranked. The present Starr has completed 120 passes in 205 attempts for 1,788 yards, 14 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 58.5. The 1960 Starr, at this point, completed 84 passes in 146 attempts for 1,116 yards, two touchdowns and a completion percentage of 57.5. The biggest change is in TD passes, with an increase of one dozen. He has thrown six in the last two games - three vs. the Rams and three vs. the Bears. Though Uncle Sam has taken two of his big weapons (Paul Hornung and Boyd Dowler), Green Bay Taxpayer Starr has high hopes of playing in the championship game virtually in his own back yard. City Stadium, where the game will be played if the Packers can win the West, is just about four blocks from Starr's new home (Chateau Drive). Jim Taylor has dropped 268 yards behind Jim Brown's record rushing pace. Brown tied his own record with 237 yards last Sunday. Taylor has gained 827 in 157 carries for an average of 5.3; Brown is averaging 4.9 on 1,095 yards in 225 attempts. Taylor is working less than a year ago to keep him fresh for the longer schedule. At the 10-game mark last year, Taylor had 186 carries for 898 yards. Brown had carried 179 times for 1,047 yards in 10 games last year. Hornung was flying along with 152 points after 10 games last year. He has scored 130 points in nine games this year.
